


Paid In Full

by Raelilly



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, TMI - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Malec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 15:55:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1947147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raelilly/pseuds/Raelilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Magnus gets a late night client who can not pay, Alec steps in to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paid In Full

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Guys! My first ever posting so please be nice. I hope you enjoy. Clearly, I do not own TMI, must give credit to CC.

“I am sorry my dear but that is my standard rate. If you could not afford it perhaps you should not have come to the High Warlock of Brooklyn. I know several Warlocks who could do it for less, including my dear friend Catarina Loss, you should have gone to Beth Israel, she’s usually there.”

Lani Hernandez was not in the best of shape, but she understood what the man was saying: he wouldn’t help heal Lani because her mother could not afford to pay him. Even to a six year old that seemed cruel. Who did this guy think he was anyway? Lani was sure that High Warlock of Brooklyn was an important title, she had always heard her parents speak it reverently, but this guy certainly didn’t look important. With his shaggy hair half up in spikes, the smeared remains of what appeared to be eyeliner (did men wear eyeliner? Lani would have to remember to ask her older sister later), and the fact that he wore only silky looking pajama bottoms with cartoon cats dancing on them, he looked more like the type of downworlder her sister Kara would date than someone important. Of course he couldn’t really be blamed for his current disheveled state, it was very late at night (or early morning, Lani really wasn’t sure when one became the other, another question for Kara) and her mother had practically forced her way inside the man’s front door. All because of a stupid little demon bite. 

The demon she had found in the closet of her bedroom (yeah right Dad, nothing in the closet, Lani would never believe him again!) hadn’t been very big, but the burning of the bite and Lani’s clouded thoughts seemed to point to the fact that it was most likely venomous, whatever it had been. Of course the instant that Lani thought about the stupid bite it gave a painful throb. Hard as she tried she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips. 

“Please, Mr. Bane, there must be something that you can do! I did look for Ms. Loss first, but the hospital staff say that she is filling in across town tonight. Perhaps we could make monthly payments until the total is paid. Please, you can’t just let her suffer!” Lani rarely saw her mother cry, watching the tears run down her face made Lani’s heart momentarily ache more than her wounded leg. Only momentarily though, man her leg HURT!

The man, Mr. Bane evidently, sighed. Lani couldn’t decide if the look on his face was frustration or sympathy. Her head really was starting to swim. 

“All right listen, there is a bathroom down the hall, first door on your right. Take a moment, clean yourself up and let me make some calls. I can’t reduce my rate, it sets a bad precedent, but maybe I can contact a friend who will do it for less.”

Lani watched through slitted eyes as her mother nodded. With a bowed head she whispered “thank you Mr. Bane,” and she headed down the hall out of sight. 

As soon as her mother was gone another man stepped out of the shadows. Lani hadn’t noticed him there but she assumed he had been watching the whole time. Suddenly she was glad she had decided to feign unconsciousness, men who appear out of shadow are not often bringing good news. He looked just as disheveled as Mr. Bane, black hair standing up in every direction, he was equally shirtless but wore somber black sweat pants with a hole in one knee. What drew Lani’s attention to this man more than anything were the dark marks covering his skin, almost like tattoos, but…..

And then it hit her, Shadowhunter. Kara had told her about Shadowhunters, how they enforced the rules of downworld. Kara hadn’t said specifically, but the tone of their conversation seemed to suggest that Shadowhunters should be avoided. If this Shadowhunter was staying in his house, Lani wondered what Mr. Bane had done to warrant such a harsh punishment. Maybe refusing to help injured Werewolves was a more serious crime than she thought…. 

“You know you want to help them,” the Shadowhunter said softly, “don’t be so stubborn.”

 “Alec,” Mr. Bane replied wearily, “I really can’t help them for free, and lets be honest we both know that’s all this poor woman could afford. If I do this for them then everyone will expect something for free, and then how will I make a living? Free doesn’t pay the bills Darling.”

Darling? Why on earth would Mr. Bane call a Shadowhunter Darling? Maybe Lani was wrong, maybe this Shadowhunter, this Alec, wasn’t a jailor after all. Maybe he worked for Mr. Bane. The High Warlock would be powerful indeed if he had the Nephilim in his employ…. Lani would have to remember to mention that to Kara when she told her about tonights adventure. If she survived that is. Her leg gave another throb and she let a small gasp escape her lips. 

“Alright then, how about this one’s on me?” Alec offered. “I’ll cover the cost of the treatment for this girl.”

Lani was starting to think that maybe Kara didn’t know much about Shadowhunters at all, this guy didn’t seem like a mindless law enforcer. She listened closer for Mr. Bane’s reply. 

“You paying me with money we already have does not constitute income Alec.” 

“Magnus, who says I plan to pay you with money?” Alec whispered. 

Mr. Bane, Magnus evidently, looked up at Alec, exasperation clear on his face. “If you don’t intend to pay me with money then what…..”

Alec tilted his head to the side, one eyebrow cocked in a way that clearly said Magnus was missing something very obvious. It was the same look Kara gave her sometimes. Lani hated that look. 

“….Oh!” Magnus seemed to have caught on, both eyebrows shooting up his forehead, although Lani really was confused. (If there was something other than money that you could use to pay for things she really ought to make sure her mother knew about it. They were ALWAYS short of money. ) “You mean….”

“Yes, THAT THING. If you give this woman what she needs to help her daughter, and speed them on their way I will do THAT THING. Not once. Twice.” With those last words Alec had leaned across the table that separated him from Magnus. “You always ask and I say no, do this for me. Please?”

Lani thought maybe she understood now, this Alec IS working for the High Warlock, and to pay for her healing he has offered to do some extra job. Lani could understand that, once she had to do all of Kara’s chores for a WHOLE WEEK to keep her from telling about the extra slice of cake Lani had stolen from the pantry. It had been totally worth it.

“Alright then, we have a deal.” Magnus answered. There was an excited gleam in his eyes, Lani guessed he really had wanted to help them after all. 

At just that moment her mother reappeared at the mouth of the hallway. 

Magnus smiled towards her mother “Good news, I have found an anonymous donor willing to cover the cost of your daughter’s treatment. If you would please follow me to my study we will fetch the necessary accoutrements. Then I’m afraid I must insist you head home, it is very late after all.”

Lani noticed one last tear escaping her mothers eye before Magnus herded her back down the hall. Alec had disappeared once again into the shadows, but she assumed he was still close. 

“Thank you Alec” she offered to the empty space.

A chuckle answered her before he stepped back out from the shadows. “I thought you were sleeping little one.” The smile on his face was friendly, and Lani noticed his eyes were the most beautiful blue she had ever seen. This man did not seem frightening. Maybe the venom in her blood was effecting her more than she thought.

“What’s THAT THING? Will it be awful? That thing you agreed to do?” she asked shyly. She didn’t like to think of Alec doing anything horrible on her account. 

To her surprise Alec laughed, his cheeks pinking in a peculiar way. “To be honest, I like it as much as he does, but if he knew that this wouldn’t have worked, now would it?” He reached down and ruffled her hair. “Will you keep my secret?” he asked with a wink.

“Yes Sir Mr. Alec.” Lani smiled as best as she could. Her leg REALLY DID HURT!

“Now you rest, and do everything your mother tells you to do so you can heal.”

With that Lani closed her eyes. She was tired, after all. Demon bites really do take it out of a girl. 

When she opened her eyes next it was to her mother collecting her off of the couch. The last thing she saw before falling asleep in her mothers arms was Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, winking at her as he closed his apartment door. Kara would NEVER believe this one.


End file.
